Trolley



No. 622,99I. Patented Apr. 11, I899. R. E. CARROLL.

TR0LLEY.'

{Application filed Nov. 19, 1898.} (No Modem mewfiif 15/ gazfizz'Czrroll.

NITED Y STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ROBERT E. CARROLL, OF LIMA, OHIO" TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 622,991, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed November 19, 1898. Serial No. 696,909. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. OARRoLL,acitizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allenand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inTrolleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolleys for electric cars, and has for itsobject to provide improved means for permitting the trolley-wheel toreadily and easily follow curves and other sinuosities in the overheadline-wire.

It also has for its object to provide improved means arranged inoperative connection with the trolley in such manner that the trolley iseifectually prevented from jumping the linewire at crossings, curves,switches, and other points and is guarded and guided on the linewire inan efficient manner, while at the same time permitting the trolley to bereadily engaged with and disengaged from the line-wire forreversing thecar and the like.

It has for a further object to provide improved means for guiding thetrolley onto the wire in reversing or setting the trolley; and, finally,it has for its object to improve and simplify the construction andrender more ef-, ficient the operation of this class of devicesgenerally.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in theconstruction, combina tion, and arrangement of parts'hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims following thedescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, Wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved trolley, showing the same in place on the linewire. Fig. 2 is aplan View, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 yoke 2 is reduced and ispivoted at 6 in the bifurcated upper end 7 of the trolley-pole in suchmanner that the yoke carrying the trolthe rim of the trolley-wheel.-wheels are broad at their upper sides and ley-wheel may move laterallyrelatively to the trolley-pole. The extreme lower end of the shank 5 isrecessed, as at 8, forming shoulders 9, which are adapted to abut aspline 10 on the trolley-pole and limit the movement of the yoke ineither direction. Attached at one end to the trolley-pole is aleaf-spring 11, the other or free end of which is arranged between twolugs or projections 12 on the yoke, the arrangement being such' thatsaid spring operates to normally hold the yoke in alinement with thetrolley-pole. If'desired, two such springs may be employed, one on eachside of the trolley-pole; but one spring will be found amply sufficientunder all ordinary circumstances.

The operation of this part of the invention is asfollows: Thetrolley-wheel travels on and follows the line-wire in the usual mannerwhen the latter is straight. When a curve, bend, or angle in the linewire is reached, however, the spring 11 yields and permits the yoke toswing to one side about its pivot 6 to accommodate the trolley-wheel tothe deflection of the line-wire; but the instant the trolley-Wheelreaches a straight portion of the line-wire the spring causes the yoketo resume its normal position in alinement with the trolley-pole.

Formed on the opposite sides of the yoke 2 are lugs 13, between which,on each side of the yoke, are pivoted arms 14 15, in the upper ends 14of which are journaled guide and guard disks or wheels 16. I of thedisks or wheels incline outwardly in opposite directions, so that thedisks correspondingly incline in opposite directions, and the arms areof such length that the disks, when the trolley is in place on theline-wire, lie directly in front of the upper portion of The disks ornarrow at their lower sides, in such manner that the broad upper sideportions project slightly over the upper part of the line-wire andeffectually guide the trolley-wheel and hold it to the line-wire, thuseffectually preventing the trolley from jumping the latter atcrossings,-switches, and other points.

The arms 14 15 can be oscillated on their pivots for the purpose ofspreading their up- The journals 17' sired to reverse the trolley, andthis may be conveniently accomplished in the manner and by the meanshereinafter explained. The lower portions of the arms are provided ontheir inner or proximate sides with lugs 18, over which are arranged theopposite ends of a compressible coiled spring 19. The spring 19 exerts aconstant pressure to force the lower ends 15 of the arms apart, andconsequently the upper ends 14 together, thus holding the guide andguard disks to the linewire.

Loosely journaled on the opposite ends of the shaft 3 are arms 20, theupper ends 21 of which diverge or are inclined outward, and their lowerends are connected by a swinging bail 22, the arms being so proportionedthat when the trolley is in normal position.that is to say, inengagement with the line-wire the upper ends of said arms will swingbackward and downward by gravity, so as to avoid all liability ofstriking the line-wire supports, cross-Wires, switches, and the like.

To operate the guide-arms and the arms carrying the guide and guarddisks, I provide bers and 26 to the ends15 of the arms 14 15.

In the operation of disengaging the trolley from and engaging it withthe line-wire to reverse it the operator in pulling upon the cord 23 todraw the trolley down from the line-wire automatically swings theguide-arms 20 up and the guide and guard disks apart, the member 24drawing down the bail connected to the guide-arms and the members 25 and26 drawing the ends 15 of the arms 25 and 26 toward each other. Theparts are held in this position while the operator swings thetrolley-pole about on its pivot to reverse the trolley, so that thediverging ends 21 of the arms 20 are in position to guide thetrolley-wheel onto the line-wire. When the operator has swung thetrolley into position beneath the line-wire, however, and releases thecord, the spring 19 immediately causes the guide and guard disks toembrace the line-wire, while the guide-arms drop back and down bygravity.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination witha trolley-pole and a trolley-wheel support on the upper end thereof, ofarms pivotally mounted on the opposite sides of the'trolley-wheelsupport below and in advance of the trolley-Wheel and provided at theirupper extremities with angularly-arranged guide and concavo-conicalguard disks arranged in front of the trolley-wheel and operating to holdthe latter to the line-wire, and means for spreading the upper ends ofsaid arms apart to disengage the disks from the line-wire, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with a trolley-pole, and a trolley-wheel supported onthe upper end thereof, of arms pivotally connected intermediate theirends with the wheel-support, be-

low and in advance of the trolley-wheel, concavo-conical guard and guidedisks journaled, respectively, on the 'upper ends of the arms inproximity to the grooved periphery of the trolley and constructed toproject partially over and bear against the sides of the line forguiding the trolley -wheel and prevent it jumping the line, a coiledspring arranged between the lower ends of the arms to press their upperends, with the guard and guide disks, toward each other, and means forspreading their upper ends apart, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a trolley-pole, and a trolley-wheel supported onthe upper end thereof, of arms pivotally connected intermediate theirends with the wheel-support guard and guide disks journaled,respectively, on the upper ends of the arms in proximity to the trolleyand constructed to project over and to bear against the sides of theline, a coiled spring arrangedbetween the lower ends of the arms topress their upper ends, with the guard and guide disks, toward eachother, and a cordconnected with the lower ends of the arms for spreadingthe upper ends thereof apart, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a trolley-pole and a trolley-wheel supported onthe upper end thereof, of arms pivotally mounted on the opposite sidesof the trolley-wheel support and provided at their upper extremitieswith angularly-arranged guide and guard disks arranged in front of thetrolley-wheel and operating to hold the latter to the line-wire, a

spring arranged between the lower ends of said arms and operating topress their upper ends, with the guide and guard disks, toward eachother, guide-arms pivoted intermediate their ends on the opposite endsof the axis of the wheel, said guide-arms diverging at their upper ends,a bail connecting the lower ends of said guidearms, the arrangementbeing such that the upper ends of the guide-arms drop down and back bygravity, and a cord provided with three furcated members, two of whichare respectively connected with the lower ends of the arms carrying theguide and guard disks and the third with the bail on the guide-arms,whereby the guide-arms may be elevated and the guide and. guard diskssimultaneously spread apart by said cord, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ROBERT E. CARROLL.

Witnesses:

EDWIN BLANK, H. P. WILLIAMSON.

